


Blood Bond

by socksaregoodshit



Series: Original Works [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood Drinking, Character Turned Into Vampire, Grimmsuki gets hit by a car once on accident, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Major Character Injury, Mild Blood, Violence, they're all original characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-26
Updated: 2019-12-14
Packaged: 2021-02-26 17:47:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21572425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/socksaregoodshit/pseuds/socksaregoodshit
Summary: This is my first time publishing something that's original so I hope you guys like it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I'm super nervous about this going up because up until now I've only ever wrote fandom works before.I want to thank all of my amazing friends for supporting me and encouraging me to publish this story, you all know who you are <3But here it is! Enjoy <3
Relationships: Kanda Grimmsuki/Hoyw Jones
Series: Original Works [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1554667
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7





	1. Night vs. Day

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time publishing something that's original so I hope you guys like it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I'm super nervous about this going up because up until now I've only ever wrote fandom works before. 
> 
> I want to thank all of my amazing friends for supporting me and encouraging me to publish this story, you all know who you are <3
> 
> But here it is! Enjoy <3

Grimmsuki peeled his eyes open for the fifth time that night—day.

Day.

_Day._

The sudden realisation was one he’d had far too many times in the last three months to still be terrified by it, but here he was. It echoed through his mind, infecting every nook, reminding him he was no longer human.

He sat up, his eyes aching from the brightness that even his blackout curtains couldn’t completely quell, he folded his legs against his chest and wrapped his arms around himself.

Day.

Less than two metres away was his dormitory window, less than two metres away was his human world, his human home.

But he didn’t belong there anymore, he was _no longer human._

If he just closed that two metre distance between himself and the window then he’d be able to feel the warmth being exuded from the summer outside. He wouldn’t even have to open the curtains.

The light coming in from the outside led him to think it was late afternoon in the human world he no longer belonged in.

Those words, those haunting words were scorched into his brain.

No longer human.

His eyes felt like sandpaper, every blink felt rough and it took all that he had to fight off sleep. Human’s didn’t sleep during the daytime. They slept at night. But his newly aligned nocturnal body clock was battling with his fleeting humanity, it demanded he slept rather than mourn the fact he’d never see the sun in all its glory ever again.

He rested his cheek on his knees, his head tilted as he looked at the window, toes curling and uncurling with an unrest he’d never experienced before beginning the change.

It seemed that, with each passing day, the fledgling vampire within him gained more and more control, cell by cell it took hold, submerging him in its dark embrace that was terrifying, but also oddly calming when his inner turmoil grew too potent.

Grimmsuki flopped backwards, downy cyan hair becoming askew thanks to the down-filled pillows beneath his head. He shakily sighed, the sound teary. The warm tracks of his tears quickly connected the corners of his eyes to his hairline with saline sadness and he closed his eyes to rid himself of the sting.

Every day his love for summer; for sunlight; for human life and all its intricacies disappeared. He couldn’t help but think of just how _you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone_ rang true to him, and then he filled with bitterness, because of all the things he could’ve lost, his humanity was something he could never get back.

He longed to go outside, to feel the warmth of a fleeting sunset, be illuminated by the sunrise, and bask in the midday sun one last time, but the fledgling vampire inside him screamed in protest at the mere entertainment of such an idea, heightening his newfound senses in an attempt to stop him.

It was working.

Adjusting had been difficult, he’d lost his friends; his family; his first crush; whisked away to a coven to complete his change around mature vampires. But knowing that even then he wasn’t guaranteed to survive, that he could still reject the change and die an agonising, violent death by blood loss – bleeding from every orifice to be more specific – with no way to save him was terrifying.

But, even if he did survive and become a fully-fledged vampire, he still wouldn’t be safe. Knowing he’d be a part of that one percent that humans still feared, were still afraid of.

Still attacked.

It had happened to a fledgling just days earlier and everyone was on edge.

He was turned against his will, doomed to live a life without his comforts, his family to turn to dust before he even gained his first wrinkle or grey hair.

It wasn’t fair.

He couldn’t stay here.

The thoughts that had consumed him had lasted long enough for the light behind the curtains had dimmed, late afternoon becoming early evening and less likely to hurt him so long as he stayed in the shadows.

So he shed his pyjamas in favour of his day clothes.

It had taken a few days, but he quickly learned where he wanted to go whenever he felt low.

So he gathered his things, careful not to wake his roommate, Niko, another fledgling. He skirted the old stone walls of the staircases and corridors as he headed towards the Eastern entrance to the coven.

To the outside.

Under the shade of the coven building he headed out to the outbuildings and with only a moment’s hesitation, a peek behind himself, he went inside.

The smell of sweet grass and hay invaded his senses as he leaned back on the heavy wooden door. He looked around, small specks of dust and feed floating in the air and catching what was left of the sunlight. He heard a gentle nicker and he moved forward, pushing himself off of the door with his fingertips and down the walkway, briefly stopping in the tack room to pick his assortment of curry brushes and combs. Then he continued his journey down the gangway.

“Hey Jetta.”

The Friesian mare nickered again, moving to the stall door and immediately leaning into Grimmsuki’s awaiting form, nudging him with her head and earning a slight laugh from the teenage male.

Jetta always made everything better.

Her gentle chestnut eyes didn’t ask questions, her black body always in need of grooming. She didn’t judge him when he came crying, nor when he came in loudly announcing his good news.

He trusted this charcoal mare with his life.

And sometimes, when his inner turmoil made it impossible to calm down, he felt like he could hear her gentle support on the wind; her telling him it’d be okay by flooding his senses with her presence, the smell of sweet grass, the sound of her even breathing, a subtle tang of mint from her favourite treats that were also his, and coarse hair beneath his hands.

He knew he was likely imagining things, but a part of him wished he wasn’t.

Because, in this topsy turvy world he found himself in, Jetta was his only friend.

He settled into a soothing pattern while grooming the mare, a _fwoosh_ then silence with the drag of the metal wire through the horse’s coat left him in a quiet contemplation.

Grimmsuki almost didn’t hear the sound from outside.

It was tiny, a small noise that would’ve gone completely unnoticed if his hearing was still at a human level.

“ _Let’s just do this thing and get outta here._ ”

His panic spiked, do what?

He gently put the curry brush on the tack shelf in Jetta’s stall, vaulting the stable door with a practiced ease as to not disturb the old slide lock. No matter what he couldn’t be discovered.

He stalked the sound, following it back to the entrance of the stables. The sky was now ignited crimson, the few clouds a coral pink and the sun dipping under the horizon.

But the light on the old wooden stable doors was not from the waning sunlight, no.

It was fire.

And in the middle of summer, the stables were like a tinder box.

He had to stop it.

“ _Wait here, we’ll just check the inside._ ”

“ _Alright._ ”

That voice.

Grimmsuki’s brows furrowed as he hid behind the oak doors, hand clamped over his mouth as it opened and two figures crept inside.

Humans.

Now he was met with a decision.

They could take him back, free him from his prison.

Or he could protect his new home from the trespassers.

He hated how easy it was to make a decision, but there was no question. They were here to hurt the vampires, to hurt him.

Like hell he’d let them.

He waited until they were further inside, footsteps echoing on the cobblestone floor the further they went, he noticed they didn’t have the fire, thankful he didn’t need to worry about Jetta and her stablemates. He then weaved through the obstacles and the ajar door, slamming it tightly and securing them inside.

He heard their muffled surprise through the heavy door, their cries to the remaining person outside, their words inaudible through his adrenaline.

“Grimmsuki?”

Grimmsuki froze at the voice, slowly twisting his body to see who was behind him.

No wonder it had been so familiar.

“Hoyw?”

The pair stood in silence, Grimmsuki drawn to soft hazel eyes, the same hazel eyes that he’d fallen for as a human.

“Is that really you? Are you really one of _them?_ ”

His eyes flickered to the burning sconce in Hoyw’s hand at the sound of the latter’s question. It was one of the coven’s sconces. The intruders didn’t even come prepared.

How insulting.

How _dare_ they.

And Hoyw…?

His world came crashing down.

“And what if I am?” He sneered with venom and spite. “Gonna set me on fire?”

Hoyw seemed to realise how the situation looked, his eyes widening as his gaze fell to the offending item in his hands.

“No, Grimmsuki, I—"

“You what, Hoyw?” Grimmsuki continued to growl, taking an angry step forward and disturbing the loose gravel. “Surely you can see just what this looks like.”

“Grimmsuki—”

“No! I’m done being that quiet kid from high school, how fucking dare you!” He spat, driving closer to Hoyw and staring him down with a gaze full of fire, his building rage erupting and dwarfing the flame of the sconce in Hoyw’s hands. “In that stable are a dozen horses, not vampires! What the hell would you achieve setting the thing on fire, huh? Are you fucking stupid?!”

He shoved his hands against the human’s chest, surprising himself by making Hoyw stumble despite their height difference.

Hoyw’s footing shook slightly and his grip on the sconce faltered, the metal cone dropping to the sandy gravel and ebbing out with its contents all over the floor.

The door behind him thundered as the other two tried to fight through the wood.

But the look of fear in Hoyw’s eyes was all too satisfying for him to look away from.

How dare he.

For once Grimmsuki was grateful for his newfound power as he glared down his opponent.

“The adult vampires will be waking soon; I suggest you take your friends and leave before I drain you dry!”

He really shouldn’t have said that.

Fledgling vampires didn’t need blood, they were still human enough to survive without its energy. And he himself was still too human to be enticed by the thought of drinking liquid lifeforce.

It repulsed him.

He’d always hated blood; always been squeamish and the crimson liquid always left him feeling weak.

But he was too angry to care.

Two firm hands gripped his shoulders, fingertips digging into his skin like knives, suddenly Hoyw was all too close, the taller human finally ready to, what Grimmsuki assumed was, fight back.

Instead he found pleading eyes.

Something that was waiting to break free.

“Grimmsuki, I—”

Suddenly Grimmsuki felt the tug on his clothes and hair, being dragged back before thrown to the floor, his head being driven into the dirt with a thud that echoed in his skull as nausea washed over him. His body fell limp as he tried to come back to his disorientated senses, but all he could feel was pain.

“Fucking crazy vampire!”

Hoyw was silent.

“I know something that’ll teach him.”

His shirt collar tightened around his throat as he was lifted by the scruff, a tight grip wrapping around the back of his head and hot fingers making the pressure in his head worse.

He felt himself being dragged, tugged along the floor and his vision swam.

“I always wanted to see if what happened in the movies was legit.”

“ _Wait_ —” That was Hoyw’s voice.

“What’s wrong, Hoyw? Little bloodsucker put the creeps into ya?”

“No, I just—”

“Then it’s fine!”

Grimmsuki felt himself being dragged across the floor a little further before a familiar yet incredibly unwelcome sensation of warmth hit his skin.

For a moment nothing happened, he was uncomfortable, his skin itching under the feeling, but then the burning began.

His body felt as if it was on fire, nerves igniting with white hot pain and he cried out in agony. His body jerked with spasms and convulsed as it rejected the sunlight, the brilliance scorching his pale, sensitive skin.

It was agony.

If this is what the sunlight did to him now he didn’t want it.

They could keep their sunlight.

The humans could keep it.

“Grimmsuki!”

Suddenly the hands on his body, restraining him, disappeared, the pull on his clothing indicating a forceful removal. He gasped in pain as he struggled to move, his skin was taut and dry, it felt as if it were tearing to pieces with each twitch.

He continued to burn, his screams echoing as his body shuddered through dry tears, somehow, he managed to raise his arm and hide his face between the gravel and the crook of his elbow.

“Grimmsuki!”

Hoyw…?

* * *

Hoyw watched on as the two teens he called friends forced the young vampire to the floor, his head hitting the ground with a sickening thud and smeared his forehead crimson; oozing from a hidden injury.

“Fucking crazy vampire!”

Hoyw wanted to step forward.

He never had any grudge against vampires, he didn’t understand why people hated them.

When his friends said they were going out he assumed bowling, or the new Ghetto Golf.

Not this.

Not killing vampires.

Not maiming them either.

Especially not their old classmate.

Definitely not Grimmsuki.

“I know something that’ll teach him.”

Hoyw was brought back from his thoughts at the statement, watching them grasp Grimmsuki’s black jumper and drag him by the back of his neck.

He felt frozen, unable to move as he watched them, watched where they were taking the vampire.

 _No_.

His feet felt rooted to the spot.

He was afraid.

Who were these people?

The one villainised for a lack of humanity was currently more human that his captors.

“I always wanted to see if what happened in the movies was legit.”

“ _Wait_ —” He couldn’t let this happen

“What’s wrong, Hoyw? Little bloodsucker put the creeps into ya?”

“No, I just—”

“Then it’s fine!”

They finished dragging Grimmsuki to where they wanted him to be, Hoyw watching on as his skin turned paler, bleaching as he cried out.

The scream was bone-chilling.

Haunting.

But his friends held the vampire in a suffocating hold, leaving him completely immobile and with no way to escape.

He couldn’t watch this.

He didn’t want to be friends with people who were so lacking in conscience.

“Grimmsuki!”

Hoyw lunged forward, grateful for his stature as he forcibly removed the assailants from the mysterious boy who’d previously become such a worthwhile part of his life, no matter how small it’d been.

It was scary when Grimmsuki hadn’t returned to university, his presence just… _gone_.

Like it had never existed at all.

People didn’t even question where he’d went.

Hoyw dragged the assailants away, throwing them to the ground in front of the stable doors.

“What the fuck, Hoyw?!” One growled, quickly climbing back to his feet and staring up at the larger teen.

“What the fuck yourself!” Hoyw fumed, sending the previously cocksure teenager stumbling back as he swiped at him with large hands and strong arms. “ _Killing_ him?! Are you fucking _mental?!”_

The screams didn’t let up, Hoyw quickly realising that Grimmsuki was no longer able to move, his body seizing up from the exposure to the sunlight.

“Grimmsuki!” He rushed to the other’s aid, he picked him up in his arms and carried him to the shade of the stable.

“Has the bloodsucker put some kind of spell on you or somethin’?” One of the teens sneered, his confidence waning as he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, the welt caused by Hoyw’s powerful strike.

“No, I just have a conscience,” Hoyw bit back with a growl, rearing for another hit, “get outta here before I get the adult vampires!”

With the threat of mature vampires the pair of teens quickly lost any remaining bravado, backing away while cursing empty threats and warnings to the wind.

Hoyw turned his attention back to Grimmsuki, his body still rocked with convulsions, spasmodic and unpredictable in nature.

“Grimmsuki, hey,” Hoyw gently touched the vampire’s shoulder, “Grimmsuki…”

The vampire’s cries had since died down into whimpers, as Hoyw touched his shoulder he recoiled with a whine.

“Shit…”

Hoyw dug his phone from his jacket pocket, rushing onto Google as he knelt beside the young vampire.

 _How to help an injured vampire_.

The first search result had a box, a single word followed by ellipsis.

_Blood…_

How was he going to…?

He looked at the stable doors, now open and exposing the bowels of the outbuilding to him.

Grimmsuki whined again, his eyes unfocused as he squinted up at Hoyw.

“Hang on, Grimmsuki.” Hoyw grunted as he scooped Grimmsuki into his arms, carrying him into the stables and finding a darkened, empty corner stall. He held the vampire firmly in one arm as he moved the straw on the stall floor around to accommodate Grimmsuki’s smaller size, not oblivious to how frail he felt in his arms.

“Hoyw…?”

“Yeah, I’m here,” Hoyw settled Grimmsuki into the straw pile, standing and brushing his hands on his jeans as he looked round, “don’t worry, I’m gonna help you out.”

Hoyw couldn’t find anything within the immediate vicinity, instead turning to Grimmsuki.

“Do you have fangs?”

Grimmsuki seemed to gain some lucidity at the question, looking up at Hoyw with hazy eyes before realisation lit deep within them.

“N—No, why…?”

Hoyw couldn’t understand why he didn’t trust the answer, something about Grimmsuki’s demeanour made him doubt his old classmate. Kneeling before Grimmsuki he curled his upper lip with his thumb, noting the lack of elongated canines.

“Okay, then I’ll be right back.” He turned on his heel, rummaging through the stable for anything he could use to draw his own blood, despite Grimmsuki’s muted protests.

Finally finding something he thought could work, he wasn’t exactly sure what it was, but it had a blade and that was good enough for him. He headed back into the stable stall, wondering how it was best to go about the next part. Would his arm be best? His hand? But didn’t vampires always drink from the neck? Should he use his neck?

Somehow he didn’t trust himself not to cut too deep.

“N—No…” Grimmsuki trembled, trying to curl into himself, burying his chin into his chest. “Don’t make me do it…”

Hoyw paused, still standing, looming over the smaller vampire.

“You gotta drink,” he rationalised, “you’re hurt.”

Grimmsuki shook his head violently, now bringing the neck hole of his jumper up over his nose and mouth.

“I don’t wanna,” he hiccupped, “if I do, I—”

“Grimmsuki you gotta,” Hoyw continued to press, “you’re bleeding, you’re burned…you’ll die. Do you want that?”

Grimmsuki grimaced, squeezing his eyes shut tightly and curling up on himself impossibly tight as he shook his head again.

“Why? Why not?” Hoyw kneeled in front of him, resting his hand on his knee. “Why won’t you drink?”

“I’m scared…” The vampire admitted, wrapping his arms around his legs and his jumper falling away from his face as he looked up at Hoyw. “My humanity is disappearing every day. I’m scared. If I drink your blood that’ll be me giving into the side of me I don’t want…” Tears streamed down his face as his words came quicker, each shuddering breath pushing the words out faster and he quickly grew more breathless. “Don’t make me do it…”

“Grimmsuki…”

“Pleasedon’tmakemedoit…please…pleasepleasepleasedon’tmakemedoit…” The vampire chanted breathlessly, what little movement he could manage growing sporadic and restless as he descended into panic. “Idon’twannabeavampire, Ididn’tchoosethis, Iwanttobehuman!”

Hoyw bit his lower lip, worrying it between his teeth as his heart hurt for his old classmate who continued to chant those words like a desperate plea or prayer.

“Grimm—”

“Pleasepleasepleaseplease,” he finally stopped as a shuddering gasp ripped from his lungs, tears spilling down his cheeks, “Iwantogoh—home.”

Hoyw dropped the bladed object from his grasp and to the floor beside his feet, wiping his now clammy palms on his jeans before he shuffled closer to the vampire.

“Okay, okay, I won’t make you,” he pleaded, hoping the vampire was willing to bargain, “but you gotta calm down, okay?”

Grimmsuki shakily nodded, chewing on his lips as Hoyw moved to sit beside him, leaning into the straw.

He could feel the straw bed trembling with Grimmsuki’s movements and he found himself unable to think of anything other than Grimmsuki’s words.

He didn’t ask for this.

Was he really losing his humanity? It didn’t feel like it.

He was still the old Grimmsuki to Hoyw.

His presence filled him with comfort, an unexplainable calm to Hoyw’s usually restless mind, the fact he’d first appeared from the stables also shown Hoyw he hadn’t changed; he still loved animals.

And, Hoyw didn’t know how to explain it, but Grimmsuki was just… Grimmsuki.

He could feel that nothing had changed.

But he didn’t know how to convey such a thing to the other.

After an indistinguishable amount of time in silence he also felt tiredness licking at his body, but Grimmsuki’s trembling sobs had finally subsided.

“Grimmsuki…” He looked to the little vampire beside him, waiting for the attention of brilliantly blue orbs before continuing. “You haven’t… You haven’t changed.”

“I—I’m not gonna drink it…”

His skin looked painful, scorched and something that definitely wouldn’t heal without help.

“Can I just… Please humour me?”

The fledgling was guarded, eyes narrow and suspecting as he watched Hoyw’s tiniest movements.

“Fine.”

“You… Oh, I don’t know! You just… I can feel it, okay?” Hoyw felt frustration at the lack of his own articulation. “You haven’t changed, you might be physically changing, but you’re still the Grimmsuki I remember from school.”

“I—”

“And because you’re still that Grimmsuki I want to make sure you survive; I don’t want to see you in pain.” Hoyw explained, looking down at his hands as he fiddled with his fingers. “Even though you’ve threatened to drain me dry; even if you’ve since shown severe reluctance to have even one drop, I don’t care. I trust you.”

“I don’t see why…”

“Because you’ve never given me a reason not to.” Hoyw said simply, his hand resting on Grimmsuki’s leg. “Who always let me queue jump in the canteen when I had practice? Who always had a spare pen no matter what lesson or exam we had? Who always had deodorant when mine ran out?”

“I just liked to be prepared…” Grimmsuki sniffled.

“Yeah, but you’ve never let me down; even when I didn’t ask for your help. You’ve always had what I needed in the most plain but thoughtful ways… I guess what I’m trying to say is it hurts to see you this way, and if you’re scared you’ll lose your humanity then I’m just going to have to make sure you don’t.”

“How…?”

“By reminding you you’re still human to me.”

“Even if I did have my face buried in your neck and drinking from you?” Grimmsuki’s eyes were wary, watery but not folding an inch.

“I’m not gonna lie, the thought of being so vulnerable scares me a little, but I trust you more.” Hoyw repeated, emphasising those last four words.

Grimmsuki was silent, not making eye contact with Hoyw before finally letting out a sigh.

“Okay…” He agreed, a waver to his voice. “I trust you… Don’t let me lose my humanity.”

“I won’t…” Hoyw leant on his elbow, facing Grimmsuki. “How do you want to…?”

He could see the fear carved into Grimmsuki’s every feature, from his rigid posture to his eyes. Everything betrayed his fear.

“I—I don’t know…”

“What about this?” Hoyw shifted into a sitting position, carefully lifting Grimmsuki in his arms and settling him on his lap.

Grimmsuki moved above him, looking down at him before shaking his head, what looked like blush consuming his face and barely visible through the burns.

“Would facing away be better?”

A nod.

So Hoyw arranged them that way.

He turned Grimmsuki round, helping him get comfortable between his legs with his back pressed to his chest.

“Which arm do you want?” Hoyw asked, allowing both his arms to be on show to Grimmsuki, but he remained silent. “Grimmsuki, I need you to tell me where your comfort zones end and where you want things to go…”

“…eft.”

“What, sorry?”

“Left.”

His weaker arm.

Hoyw nodded.

“Left it is.”

Hoyw looked for the blade from earlier, spying it within his reach and grasping for it with his right hand.

“Are you ready?”

“I can feel your heartbeat…” Grimmsuki mumbled softly, his back pressed firmly to Hoyw’s chest in their position. “It’s fast.”

“That’s because I’m nervous.”

“You never did like pain.”

“And you were always squeamish about blood.”

“Oh how the tables have turned.” Grimmsuki dryly scoffed.

Hoyw couldn’t contain the small smile on his lips, even as he shakily wiped the blade clean on his shirt and lined it up with his left arm.

“Ready?”

“Yeah…”

It stung more than he’d anticipated, the blade not as sharp as it looked, his shaking hands not offering much pressure at first. But eventually the first carmine pearls decorated his skin and he held his arm up for Grimmsuki.

He hadn’t expected the sensation on his arm when Grimmsuki finally began to take what he needed. It was a foreign feeling but not unwelcome; a comforting and familiar quality to it and he allowed himself to relax, encasing Grimmsuki’s body in a warm embrace.

He bowed his head, homing into the feeling of Grimmsuki’s mouth, how he grew more confident with each passing moment. Soon enough, before he knew what he was doing, his lips were pressed to Grimmsuki’s nape.

A reassuring presence in a sea of the vampire’s turmoil, his hope in a black sea. He kissed the skin there, once and then a second time, soon he was spreading kisses along Grimmsuki’s nape and the top of his exposed spine and shoulders, soft caresses of his lips that was meant to offer comfort.

He didn’t even realise Grimmsuki had stopped until the latter first spoke, his voice shaky but not in the same way as before.

“Thank you…”

Hoyw watched the young vampire move to take off his jumper, wrapping the fabric around the wound on Hoyw’s arm and applying pressure. His face felt oddly warm as he stared at the pale expanse of skin in front of him.

“How do you feel?” Grimmsuki asked, leaning back against Hoyw, now completely relaxed in his arms and in no hurry to move.

“I should be the one asking you that…” Hoyw spoke softly, his eyes drooping as his adrenaline faded, the darkness of the night coupled with his blood loss leaving him tired and unwilling to move.

He closed his eyes, blinking them open when he felt Grimmsuki shift in his lap, opening them to gentle almond shaped, sapphire eyes, his skin was healed, not a trace of the burns nor of the large gash on his forehead.

“You should get home…”

* * *

Grimmsuki felt the burning sting of his skin lessening with each swallow, it was refreshing, like bathing in cool water after spending too long in the sunlight and ending up with sunburn. He could also feel Hoyw’s lips on his neck, keeping him calm and settled with the gentle touches along his nape.

He never wanted it to end.

He’d dreamt of having something tangible with the teenager behind him before his fate was sealed, even afterwards until he resigned himself to the fact that’s all they could ever be; a dream.

But he knew Hoyw was only human, that he couldn’t handle losing too much blood, nor could he handle the idea that their lifespans were vastly different now, so he reluctantly pulled away.

“Thank you…”

His face felt all too hot as he moved to remove his jumper, he didn’t have the healing enzymes in his saliva yet, so he’d have to settle for treating Hoyw’s wounds the traditional way.

He wrapped the soft fabric around Hoyw’s arm, pressing it to the wound as he turned his head to see the human battle with remaining lucid, his eyes unfocused, rapidly blinking in his effort to stay awake.

“How are you feeling?” He asked, turning back around and leaning back against Hoyw, willing his heart to slow and face to cool down.

“I should be the one asking you that…” His voice was strangely subdued, it was evident that he was exhausted.

Grimmsuki twisted himself around, continuing to lean against Hoyw only this time he was facing him, he watched as his eyes struggled open, hazy hazel eyes staring up at him with… Something.

“You should get home…” He whispered, unable to resist running his fingers down Hoyw’s face and along his jaw, eventually continuing to his neck and lingering over his pulse point, gently thumbing the skin.

Hoyw groaned softly, stubbornly, in mild annoyance.

“Don’t wanna.”

“But you gotta go home and rest…”

“Comfy here.”

Grimmsuki huffed affectionately, pouting slightly to suppress a smile and convey faux displeasure before pushing off Hoyw’s chest to stand.

“You’re comfy in a stable for horses, what does that make you?”

“A very, very—” Hoyw broke off into a yawn, “—tired human.”

Grimmsuki couldn’t fight the affectionate smile this time round. He longed for this conversation; this scene with a different context. One that meant there were feelings worth pursuing, worth fighting for, a context in which they’d age at the same rate and have a normal life together.

“I miss you.”

Had he heard that right?

“I really miss you, Suki. It ain’t the same without you.”

He should pull away, cut ties with the last of his human world before he became lost in mossy eyes and the forest of hope that was Hoyw. Because no matter how hopeless, there was always a glimmer of the impossible being possible when he was with Hoyw.

Like the first regrowth of a sapling after a fiery decimation.

But he was too afraid to take the necessary risk, rather, he was too afraid of loving and losing.

But it seemed Hoyw didn’t have that trouble.

“I wanna see you again; I’ll only go home if you promise.”

Later he’d tell himself it was a moment of weakness, but for now he allowed himself some solace from his lonely, vampiric world.

“Okay...”


	2. A Test of Human Endurance

Grimmsuki paced restlessly around bookshelves, looking for one book in particular that’d hopefully solve all of his problems. Well, at least one of them. He made his way to the information section of the library, one about interspecies relationships and whether they could work. He froze at the sight that befell his eyes.

So many books.

Where did he even begin?

He perused the shelves, picking out book after book, reading the back, putting it back if he thought it wasn’t any use to him and balancing it in the crook of his arm if he thought it was. He was a desperate young man.

With his head buried in a book, reading the internal contents page after only finding reviews on the back he failed to notice to adult vampire also looking at the books in that section, bumping into her and sending his books toppling to the ground.

“Sorry!” He stage whispered, kneeling down to collect and gather the books he’d dropped, being pleasantly surprised by the vampire also leaning down to help him.

“No, no, it’s quite alright,” her tone was soft, mothering, and Grimmsuki took two seconds too long to notice she was the head of the stables, Carolina, “I wasn’t paying attention either, Grimmsuki.”

“You know my name?”

“Of course.” Carolina picked up a book from the floor and dusted off the hardback cover. “You always come to visit Jetta; she tells me all about how well you look after her.” Her amber eyes landed on the book cover, hair tumbling in white waves around her confused face.

Grimmsuki fidgeted under the vampire’s scrutiny.

“Grimmsuki—”

“I know, I know, it’s wrong of me to want a relationship with a human; and selfish.”

“Not only that, but have you ever seen a vampire and human couple?”

“No…but I haven’t been changed long.”

“But even as a human, did you see it?”

“No…”

“Do you know why that is, Grimmsuki?” She sighed softly, looking down at the book with a forlorn expression. “It’s because humans and vampires have bad blood, and it’s frowned upon to fraternise with the enemy.”

“But that makes no sense.”

“Sense or not, that is society,” She spoke abruptly, “if you engage with a human it won’t just be their society that will talk. Ours will too.”

“So vampires and humans can’t be together?” Grimmsuki asked, feeling his heart grow heavy in his chest.

“Oh, they can, but it’s frowned upon and they better be prepared for judgement from everyone they cross paths with.”

“Then it’s a good job I’m not a vampire, then.”

Carolina seemed to deflate at his answer, “Grimmsuki, to deny it any longer is dangerous.”

“I’m not denying it anymore,” Grimmsuki said with resignation, “I’m not a vampire, I’m a fledgling, so that means I can have some fun with the humans until I fully change, right?”

The adult vampire looked at him sternly, “then I recommend this book,” she picked one from the shelf, “it helped me a lot when I was your age.”

“It did?” Grimmsuki asked, reading over the back of the book, looking back up once he’d finished to see the adult vampire had disappeared.

With a shrug he headed over to the window seat, sitting down on the bench and twisting his body to rest his back against the frame of the window. He brought his feet up, legs bent at the knee as he thumbed over the closed pages of the book.

What had the mature vampire meant by the book had _helped her a lot?_

He opened the yellowed pages, reading the contents page and gasping softly, “this…” Inside was a complete sociological and physiological comprehensive guide to relationships between humans and vampires, everything from life spans to bonding.

_Wait._

Bonding?

He flicked through to page ninety-three, reading the words on the page like a man in the desert desperate for water from a summer rainstorm or oasis.

_Vampires and humans have one way of preserving their relationship. If a vampire and human were to exchange their blood it will create a blood bond. A blood bond is a powerful bond between a human and vampire that transcends life itself, for the human it removes the aging process and slows it down to the pace of the vampire, for the vampire it can reveal how the human feels. The only way to break a blood bond is if one of the pair is killed, in which case the lifespan of the human will return to its original form._

Grimmsuki grimaced as he read the words on the page. So if he was tortured by humans Hoyw would feel it too…

He didn’t want that—

Listen to him, already planning a future and a blood bond with his crush despite having never confessed to him.

He closed the book and smushed his forehead against the glass of the library window, his eyes blankly staring out at the trees being caressed by the sultry summer wind, even in the middle of the night is was so _hot,_ well, outside it was, inside the coven it was cool and air-conditioned, almost too much for his still all too human skin _._ That’s another thing Grimmsuki disliked about being a vampire, the heat of the night while he was trying to sleep was now double that, the heat of the _day_ while he was trying to sleep was stifling.

Grimmsuki closed his eyes and began thinking of Hoyw – and cooler times – but he quickly decided reminding himself about the time Hoyw and his friends dug a big hole in the snow and buried Hoyw only to jump out at headmaster Weekes thinking it was Ricky and got detention was only making him more homesick.

He sighed, opening his eye and looking out over the coven grounds, he looked towards the stable from his higher vantage point and remembered the days prior.

Promising to see Hoyw again.

What had he been thinking?

Although it would be nice to see him again.

Movement caught his eye and he looked to the stable doors, seeing a familiar head of auburn-brown hair disappear inside.

Hoyw.

Grimmsuki shot up from where he was sat, not bothering to wipe at the smudge on the window left behind by his forehead, before leaving the library with a swift walk, book still in hand. He broke into a run, running down the library steps and rushing through the corridors and brushing past mature and fledgling vampires alike.

He ran out from the main entrance and jumped over the hedgerows positioned outside the main doors, booking it to the stables.

He saw the human clearer upon his approach, everything about Hoyw reminding him exactly why he’d fallen for the young man, his hair that was just as soft as it looked, if not softer, the tawny and auburn strands that melded together to make the most unique brown Grimmsuki had ever seen. His eyes that were gentle but still alight with an unquenchable thirst for victory when it came to his passion for rugby. His build of a rugby player that so gently cradled him when he’d fallen victim to the bullies and Hoyw’s former friends.

And how could he forget his personality? Hoyw’s naturally caring nature and fierce loyalty to the people he surrounded himself with was, for lack of better ways to describe it, simply amazing.

He wondered how Hoyw could’ve ever been drawn into the crowd he’d been in, he had two groups of friends; his teammates who were all nice and the most caring people Grimmsuki had ever had the pleasure of meeting, and those who crowded Hoyw for protection, the bullies.

“Grimmsuki!”

Fuck.

“Hoyw…!” Grimmsuki hissed, wrestling the other further into the stables. “What are you doing? Why are you here?”

“I had to see you.”

“You just _had_ to see me? Hoyw!” Grimmsuki started, “are you crazy coming here at night?” He gripped Hoyw’s forearms.

“I meant what I said the other night.” Hoyw did the same, broad hands encompassing Grimmsuki’s thin forearms. “I wanted to see you again.”

“Hoyw…” Grimmsuki’s tone was a warning, albeit softer than he’d intended, he shook off Hoyw’s grip and crossed his arms over his chest. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“Well I am, Suki, please.”

“Please what?” Grimmsuki asked, “what do you want me to do? Be happy you’re endangering your life to come and visit me when you _should_ be sleeping?”

Grimmsuki looked away and Hoyw reached for his hand, gripping it tightly and attracting Grimmsuki’s attention.

“Listen,” he said, squeezing Grimmsuki’s hand, “I know what I’m doing.”

“Then you’re crazy.”

“Maybe I am.”

Grimmsuki felt the air around them crackle into life at Hoyw’s statement, how could he be so calm about this? It wasn’t something to be calm about.

Grimmsuki didn’t know what would happen if Hoyw was caught.

“Please go,” Grimmsuki said softly, “please.”

Hoyw deflated, his whole demeanour changing in a matter of seconds.

“Is that what you really want?”

Grimmsuki hesitated, breaking eye contact with Hoyw, “yes.”

Hoyw’s hand slipped from Grimmsuki’s, the vampire recoiling as if he’d been shocked by a spark of electricity.

“I’ll go, then.”

Grimmsuki watched Hoyw turn on his heel, sneaking out of the stable with nothing but the sound of the stable door closing, the sound echoed in Grimmsuki’s ears.

Silence in the stables, a deafening silence that consumed Grimmsuki and he felt the familiar sting in the corners of his eyes.

“Jetta,” he hiccupped, staggering over to the mare’s stall and unbolting the gate, he shimmied around the wooden gate and closed it behind himself. He collapsed into the horse’s fresh bedding, Carolina must’ve only just mucked out Jetta’s stall, “I fucked up big time.”

The mare nickered and Grimmsuki felt her snort a breath that ruffled his hair, her warm muzzle nudging his cheek.

He reached up and stroked her nose, down her face and he felt her try to lift him up, the Friesian mare clearly disgruntled by his lack of enthusiasm towards petting her.

“Sorry, girl,” he mumbled before rolling onto his back and looking up into chocolate brown orbs, “I just… I messed up. I wanted to tell Hoyw how I felt and instead I drove him away. I want to tell him about the blood bonds, get him to research them with me and we could work towards possibly working something out between us.”

The mare nickered again, nuzzling Grimmsuki and making him scoff softly.

“What was that? _Stop talking about boys and pet me,_ you say?”

Another snort that tickled his face.

He laughed this time, “okay, how about a walk?”

* * *

Hoyw looked down at the vampire with a heavy heart, why was it so difficult to say what he wanted to say?

“Is that really what you want?” He asked, watching Grimmsuki look away and hesitate before answering.

“Yes.”

Bullshit.

Pure bullshit.

He watched as Grimmsuki recoiled lightning fast, almost as if he’d been shocked by Hoyw’s touch, “I’ll go then.”

Hoyw turned to leave, hoping with all of his heart that Grimmsuki would just… call him back, run into his arms, and make everything easier.

Ever since the time Grimmsuki had drank his blood nights prior he’d felt closer to the vampire, a pulling and gnawing that needed to be sated.

But how could he satisfy something that Grimmsuki wouldn’t entertain?

He sighed, closing the doors to the stable and leaning against them for a moment to steady himself. Why would Grimmsuki promise to see him again only to just send him away?

Hoyw steadied himself and stood up straight, exhaling softly before sneaking from the coven grounds, ducking behind trees and bushes to avoid being seen by the mature vampires.

He exited the grounds, turning to his car parked down a narrow side street and beginning an anxious walk back, wringing his hands.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t Hoyw.”

Shit.

Hoyw turned to the direction of the voice, seeing Aaron and Jay with a group of other young men. Metal baseball bats in hand.

“You really fucked us over the other night, y’know.”

“We’ve been meaning to get payback.”

Hoyw noticed the group wasn’t looking at him, but rather at his car. Good, they could trash the car.

“But now we’ve found a better thing to wreck.” Jay gripped his baseball bat tighter, smacking his palm with it.

Now all eyes were on Hoyw and he felt anxiety roll in his gut, the group drawing nearer until he had nowhere to run.

“Put him in hospital, lads.” Aaron smirked.

The first bat was swung.

* * *

Grimmsuki inhaled the night-time air from Jetta’s back, the mare trotting across the field nearest to the coven, he looked over the expanse of long grass and sighed, earning a disapproving noise from Jetta.

“Sorry, sorry.”

He pressed on, seeing the red hatchback parked on the road next to the field and instantly recognising it as Hoyw’s, what was he still doing there?

He started off in that direction, heart pounding in his chest and breath stilling.

_“Ah!”_

That was Hoyw’s voice.

He sounded in pain.

“Jetta!” He spurred the horse into a gallop in the direction of Hoyw’s car. He gripped the reins tightly, ducking his head, lowering his centre of gravity and streamlining his body.

Jetta ran and ran, vaulting over a perimeter fence of the field and onto the streets. Grimmsuki looked to where Hoyw was curled up on the floor and he felt his heart stop beating in his chest.

Hoyw was still, the thunder of Jetta’s hooves on the tarmac doing nothing to rouse him, surrounding Hoyw were five men, at least two with baseball bats.

“Get away from him!” Grimmsuki roared, feeling anger take over his body as he pulled on Jetta’s reins, the horse coming to a stop and towering over the men surrounding Hoyw. Grimmsuki recognised two of them from the other night, and they recognised him.

Grimmsuki looked down to Hoyw’s crumpled body, face twisted in grimace and arms curled up on himself.

He felt rage in his veins, seeing red and he dismounted Jetta.

“I’ll drain you all dry!” He fumed, stalking closer and watching the humans faces fall from their sneers. “Get outta here!” He bared his teeth; fangless, but that didn’t matter to the group. The humans ran and Grimmsuki rushed to Hoyw’s side.

“Hoyw!”

No response.

“Hoyw, c’mon!” He shook the human gently, an overwhelming fear overriding his senses as Hoyw failed to move at Grimmsuki’s jostling. “Open your eyes, dammit!”

Instead Hoyw remained unresponsive, and for the first time since becoming a vampire fledgling Grimmsuki could hear the rushing of blood in Hoyw’s veins, how it seemed to grow slower and fade with each passing second.

No.

Nonononono.

Not this.

Anything but this.

He bit his lip, wincing as a copper tang invaded his senses. He sucked on the wound on his lip, wringing his hands as he looked at the bruises and welts already blooming on Hoyw’s skin.

What did he do?

What could he do?

It was then that Grimmsuki remembered a chapter from one of the other books he’d been reading, about how a vampire’s blood had healing properties to humans, just like how drinking human blood healed vampires.

All he had to do was… was… he had to get his blood into Hoyw, somehow.

His lip still bled, carmine life force oozing from the slice on his skin. An idea formulated in his mind.

Grimmsuki hesitated only for a moment before he bit his lip further, worsening the bleeding and he tucked flyaway pieces of hair behind his ears, closing the distance between them. Grimmsuki could only hope that the scarce amount of blood would work.

“Grimmsuki!”

Grimmsuki jolted at the call of his name, looking up to see Carolina on her mare, Breeze, galloping over to where he, Jetta, and Hoyw were on the narrow side street.

“Carolina, what are you—” He swiped at the blood on his lip, quickly realising that Carolina had seen the blood and her gaze was questioning.

“You haven’t exchanged blood with this human have you?”

“What?” Technically, yes, but not at that moment in time, “n—no, why?”

Carolina looked like she didn’t believe him, amber eyes boring into Grimmsuki’s.

“I can feel it, you know.” Carolina said, dismounting Breeze and kneeling beside Grimmsuki. “You have drunk from this human, haven’t you?”

Grimmsuki looked to the floor. Busted.

“Yes. B—But not today!”

“It doesn’t have to be… you’ve given him some of your blood too?”

Grimmsuki realised almost immediately what Carolina meant, face blanching at the realisation. He felt the sting of tears in the corners of his eyes and he looked up at Carolina.

“I haven’t…” Fat tears rolled down his cheeks. “Have I?”

Carolina’s arm came to support Grimmsuki, wrapped around his shoulder. “Can you smell it?”

He could.

He could smell the change in Hoyw’s blood. It no longer oozed from his nose or the gash along his head, but he could smell how it had changed.

“Is that…?”

“A blood bond, yes.”

Grimmsuki sniffled, wiping at his eyes as he looked down at Hoyw. His body trembled and his lower lip quivered. More tears left saline tracks down his face.

“All I wanted was to save his life,” he whispered, “he was dying.”

“And you thought sharing your blood would do that…”

Grimmsuki nodded frantically, “I—I remember reading that a vampire’s blood can heal humans like a human’s blood can heal vampires. H—He saved my life a few days ago, I wanted to return the favour and save his.”

“We have to get him to a hospital, Grimmsuki.”

“How?”

“Go back to the coven, I’ll sort it out.”

“But—”

“Grimmsuki, take Breeze and Jetta back to the stables.”

He nodded, feeling useless as he mounted Jetta and settled into the saddle, he reached for Breeze’s reins and held them tightly as he kicked Jetta into a walk.

He took one look back at the scene as Carolina took out her phone, talking to someone, probably an ambulance.

Grimmsuki sighed, directing the two mares through the gate of the field and across towards the coven.

Once back at the stables Grimmsuki returned Breeze and Jetta to their neighbouring stalls and his mind immediately wandered to Hoyw, would he be okay? What about the blood bond? What happened now?

What felt like a thousand questions raced through his mind and left him feeling confused and upset, he could also feel a headache threatening to be unleashed.

This sucked.

This sucked big time.

He sat down on the wooden bench outside the stables, taking note of the lightening sky and sighing in resignation.

Time for bed.

He stood from where he’d just sat, walking towards the coven and along the Eastern wall. He disappeared inside, looking down at his feet as he wormed his way around vampires returning to their rooms for the day, he travelled up a set of stone stairs, taking a left, and then another left, before sneaking into his own room, one that he shared with another fledgling called Niko.

Niko was already fast asleep by the time Grimmsuki entered the room and he quietly stripped down to his underwear before donning his pyjamas.

“’Suki?”

He startled, “hey Niko…”

“Are you okay?” Niko asked around a yawn.

“I fucked up.” Grimmsuki sat on his bed and looked at the sleepy green eyes watching him, he curled up and fresh tears fell down his features.

Upon seeing his roommate’s distress Niko stood and approached Grimmsuki’s bed.

“Wanna talk about it?” He asked, sitting down beside Grimmsuki and wrapping an arm around him.

Grimmsuki was silent, “not really… I mean… I do, but at the same time I don’t know where to begin.”

“How about the beginning? That’s always a good place to start.”

At first Grimmsuki wanted to snap at his dormmate for making such a stupid comment, but upon realising he was right he changed his tune and bit at his lip as he confessed his feelings for the first time. “When I was human I had a crush on the captain of the rugby team,” Grimmsuki started, “it seems even though I’m becoming a vampire those feelings haven’t changed.”

“I see…” Niko nodded, “so you want a relationship with them?”

Grimmsuki sighed, “yes.”

“Oh.”

“But I fucked up.”

“What do you mean?”

Grimmsuki carded his fingers through his hair, “I mean, four days ago I was hurt by two humans, his friends, and he saved me, made me drink his blood to heal my wounds.”

Niko nodded along.

“But then today he was attacked by the same humans and…” he felt tears streaming down his face, “and I—he was going to die, Niko, he was gonna die.” He swallowed around the globus sensation in his throat. “I gave him some of my blood to heal him—”

“Grimmsuki… you didn’t…”

“I did.” Grimmsuki nodded.

“Blood bond?” Nikko questioned quietly.

Grimmsuki nodded and looked down. “Wait, how do you—”

“My mentor doesn’t like Carolina’s husband.”

“Carolina has a husband?”

“A human husband, at least according to my mentor.”

Grimmsuki fell silent, deep in thought as he realised why she’d recommended that book to him. She knew better than anyone.

“So when she said she’d fix it that’s what she meant?” Grimmsuki asked himself and Niko shrugged in response.

“Maybe, or maybe she’s waiting for you to take the initiative.”

“What do you mean?”

“Do some research, surely there’s a way to erase a blood bond. Surely it couldn’t have been all that strong.”

Grimmsuki looked at his friend, gaping just slightly as he realised the implications of Niko’s suggestion. He could fix this!

“I’m gonna go fix things!”

“Yeah!”

“I’m gonna go to the library and do research!”

“Yeah!”

“I’ll start with this book!” Grimmsuki rummaged for the book he’d tucked away in his back pants pocket, grinning when he found it.

“Good luck, Suki,” Niko yawned, returning to his bed.

“Thanks Niko!” Grimmsuki settled against the headboard of his bed, turning on the bedside lamp and flicking to the page about blood bonds.

* * *

He could hear voices.

Two.

No.

_Three._

Two he didn’t recognise, the other he was sure was his mother.

His mother. A man? Yeah, a man. Another woman?

“…ey stay away from one another then it may reverse,” the woman said, “but there’s no guarantee.”

What were they talking about?

Hoyw slowly peeled his eyes open to glaring white light and an even whiter, sterile room. Sure enough there was his mother, at the end of his bed, talking to a doctor? He was wearing a white coat so he assumed he was a doctor.

But the woman? He had no idea who she was.

“He’s awake.” She spoke softly, her tone calming like an ocean washing up on a pebbled beach like their one to the South.

Suddenly all eyes were on him and he felt shy under the scrutiny. He looked away from the three.

“Where am I?” He asked, bringing his hand up to rub at his forehead and wincing at the pain in his chest as he did so. He knew full well he was in a hospital bed. He just desperately wanted to have a conversation, destroy the awkward silence in the room.

“Sweetie, you’re in the hospital.” His mother coddled, moving beside the bed and taking his hand in hers. “Do you remember what happened?”

Did he remember what happened?

Aaron and Jay.

“Yeah, ugh…” He groaned, feeling sick at the memory of being attacked, “I was attacked with baseball bats. I—I can’t remember who it was though – I was jumped by some strangers.”

“Anything else?” The woman with white hair asked, moving closer to his bed.

He shook his head. Did something else happen?

It was then he remembered the gentle caress on his lips, exhaling shakily as a coppery taste invaded his senses and made him lurch from the bed. A new sensation was quick to follow, one that left him breathless as he felt something that wasn’t his own emotion... Grimmsuki’s pain.

“Grimmsuki.”

At the mention of the vampire’s name Hoyw watched the room and their faces fall, a chill that wasn’t from the air conditioning whipping through the room.

He filled with panic, “where is he?”

This time the woman spoke, a vampire. “Grimmsuki is back at the coven.”

“He gave me his blood.”

“He gave you a blood bond.”

“A what?”

“A blood bond.” The woman sighed, clasping her fingers together at her stomach. “A blood bond is something powerful, it stops humans aging and it enabled a vampire to have a lifelong human mate. Unless the vampire dies the human won’t die, and if the vampire dies within the human’s natural lifespan the human will return to their natural age.” Her eyes changed from stern to almost… pleading. “Please don’t hold this against him, Hoyw. He probably didn’t know what he was doing.”

“Probably?” Hoyw asked bitterly as the weight of her words came crashing down on him. “So what you’re saying is I’m doomed to be immortal until Grimmsuki dies?”

“Well, not _immortal.”_

“But I won’t be a normal human again until Grimmsuki dies?”

“Well, there is a way to reverse a blood bond, especially one as weak as yours.”

“It’s only weak?”

“Minimal blood was exchanged.”

“Then how do we reverse it?”

“You have to avoid Grimmsuki until the bond breaks.”

Hoyw felt his heart stammer in his chest, avoid Grimmsuki? “How long is that for?”

“I’m not sure, it could be a few days, or it could be a few months, possibly a year at the most.”

Hoyw fell silent. He zoned out of the conversation that’d begun between his mother and the vampire.

It seemed the only ways to end the blood bond was to either kill Grimmsuki or avoid him, and neither was something Hoyw wanted to do. But he didn’t want the blood bond either.

He didn’t want to outlive his family by hundreds of years.

“If you report anything please don’t hesitate to get in touch.” The vampire handed Hoyw a piece of paper with her contact details on. With that, she left. Closing the door quietly behind her.

“Sweetie, I need to speak with the doctor in private, I’ll be back in a little while.”

“Okay.”

And his mother left the room with the doctor. Hoyw just had time to exhale before his door was opened again.

“Hoyw!”

Hoyw looked to the door, seeing his three friends entering the room, Billie and Ricky bounding in and practically fighting to see him first, Luke catching the door before it could slam shut.

“Hey buddy,” he said, shoving his hands into his denim jeans pockets, “how are you feeling?”

“Like I was hit by a bus.”

“Oof,” Billie grimaced, “I’m gonna beat the crap outta whoever hurt you.”

“It was Aaron and Jay.”

“What?!”

“Yeah, but you can’t tell anyone, okay?”

“But you got hurt, they deserve to rot!”

Hoyw shook his head, “because they’ll put Grimmsuki in danger.”

“Grimmsuki?” Luke asked, trying to remember where he’d heard the name before.

“You guys won’t remember him, well, probably won’t remember him,” Hoyw explained, “he’s a vampire.”

“A vampire?!” Billie asked aghast, “why do you care about a vampire?”

 _“Duh,_ it’s Hoyw, he cares about everyone.”

“No, he used to be in our university, _and_ high school. But he got turned into a vampire.” His friends looked on with vacant expressions. “Remember the kid with bright blue hair? Always at our matches?”

“Ohhh.” Billie acknowledged, closely followed by Luke and Ricky. “He’s a vampire?”

Hoyw hummed.

“Man that sucks.” Ricky spoke, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Literally,” Billie laughed, but then she sighed and sat on the end of Hoyw’s hospital bed. “Are you okay?” She asked softly.

Hoyw took a moment to think about the question, after being beaten up by baseball bats for protecting a vampire? After finding out he had a blood bond he never asked for? Was he allowed to tell them about it?

Fuck it, he needed to rant to _someone._

“Grimmsuki saved my life.” He looked down at his hands in his lap. “But in the process he gave me a blood bond.”

“A blood bond?” Billie repeated, confusion etched onto her features.

“A _what?”_

Hoyw rested his head in his hands, scrubbing at his face, “God, I don’t know,” he sighed, “something to do with me being immortal until the bond breaks.”

 _“Dude.”_ Ricky was the first to say.

“How do you break the bond?” Luke asked, sitting down beside Billie, attracting the young woman’s attention.

“Yeah, you said the bond can be broken.”

“I either avoid Grimmsuki for a year or so, or I kill him. Neither of which I’m keen on doing.”

“Why aren’t you keen on avoiding him? That sounds easy!”

Hoyw picked at his fingernails, biting his forefinger’s. Did he dare tell them? Admit it out loud for all to hear? “I, uhm, like…” he trailed off and grew quiet.

“What?”

“I like him. I like him a lot. I’ve had a crush on him for God knows how long and the thought of being away from him for up to a year just… I don’t know, fills me with dread.”

His friends stayed quiet, and for a second Hoyw thought he’d fucked up, he’d lost his friends by telling them he was gay _and_ crushing on a vampire.

“Dude’s got feelings too.” Ricky grinned.

“The all-round perfect catch.” Billie swooned.

“Perfect bod, perfect personality, and feelings, man I’m jealous.”

Billie snickered.

“Guys,” Hoyw felt relieved, joining in with the laughter as his heart rate eased up, “I can’t believe you guys.”

Billie crawled up the bed, closely followed by Ricky and Luke as the trio moved to embrace Hoyw, “we’re just glad you’re safe.”

“Yeah, when we’d heard you’d been attacked we were so worried.” Ricky smiled, hugging Hoyw tighter.

“I’m okay,” Hoyw breathed, feeling a surge of emotion, “I’m safe.”


	3. Confession and a Kiss

Grimmsuki sat with Niko in the dining hall, eating a tuna mayo and cheese pasta pot while Niko played on his portable PlayStation, picking at egg sandwiches between game levels and missions. Late summer was fading into autumn and the nights were getting cooler, Grimmsuki settled down into his thicker than normal sweater and fought back a shiver.

“Cold?” Niko asked, taking a bite of his egg sandwich and not taking his eyes off his game.

“Colder than usual.”

It was true, in the coven even the summer nights were chilly and left his skin littered in goosebumps.

“That sucks, wanna head back to the room?”

Grimmsuki shook his head, “I think I have cabin fever. Unless I’m sleeping I don’t want to even think about the room.”

Niko’s phone pinged and he immediately put down his game. Odd.

“Who’s that?”

Especially that late at night.

“A friend.” Niko spoke dismissively, but Grimmsuki didn’t trust his friend’s tone of voice.

“Who?”

Niko hesitated at that, looking up from his screen. “Grandpa.”

 _“Grandpa?_ As in your grandad?”

“No!” Niko laughed, but the sound was tense. “His username is Grandpa. His real name is Matthew, but he’s grumpy as hell so everyone calls him Grandpa.”

“I see…”

Niko snickered at whatever was on his screen, Grimmsuki craned his neck in an attempt to read whatever it was that _Grandpa_ had said but he couldn’t quite see. Niko tapped out a message on his screen and then put his phone down again, picking up his game and continuing to play.

“What did he say?”

“Oh,” Niko seemed to hesitate; choosing his words carefully, “he sent me a meme.”

“A what?”

“A meme! Y’know, like a funny picture.”

“Oh.” Grimmsuki still had no idea what Niko was talking about.

In all honesty he was distracted by the clawing need in his body, something that’d only formed after the blood bond with Hoyw. He now _craved_ Hoyw’s blood and needed an escape. But a blood bond wasn’t what Hoyw wanted.

He thought about the other man, sighing softly as he rested his head on his arms.

“Suki? You okay?”

“Hoyw. I miss him.”

“Oh…”

“Fuck it, I miss his blood!” Grimmsuki whined, collapsing onto the table dramatically, face buried in his forearms. “It was so good…”

“You really wanna drink from him again?” Niko asked, voice laced with shock as he listened to his friend.

Grimmsuki knew exactly why Niko was shocked, just weeks earlier he’d been ranting, raving, _screaming_ about not wanting to lose his humanity, and that he was squeamish of blood at the best of times, yet here he was, ready and willing to drink Hoyw’s blood for the second time in as many weeks.

Hell, at this point anyone’s blood would do.

“Then… what about me?” Niko asked, putting down his game and meeting Grimmsuki’s eyes.

“What about you?”

“What if you drink my blood to help you deal with the cravings?”

“I—I can’t.”

“Can’t or won’t?”

Grimmsuki hesitated, what was his answer?

He definitely could, he was craving any blood, but what would drinking from his friend do to their friendship?

“If you’re worried anything will change between us, it won’t.”

“How did you—”

“It’s written all over your face.” Niko smiled sympathetically.

“Sorry.” Grimmsuki fidgeted nervously, seeming to steel himself before answering Niko’s proposition. “Okay, i—if you don’t mind.”

“Not at all.” Niko smiled brightly, turning off his handheld console and finishing the last bite of his egg sandwich. “Let’s go.”

“Go where?”

“Somewhere you can drink my blood.”

Grimmsuki nodded, suddenly too anxious to eat the rest of his pasta.

He gathered his things and stood, shucking his backpack onto his shoulders. “Where should we go?”

“The room?” Niko asked, looking at Grimmsuki as they began to walk back to their dorm room from the canteen.

“Okay.” Grimmsuki agreed, the walk there felt like it took a lifetime as his nerves steadily grew. They walked the distance to the staircase as if they were doing the walk to the gallows, up the stairs like they were seconds away from the guillotine, Grimmsuki could feel Niko’s nerves as well as his own.

They entered their dorm room after what felt like at least five minutes but couldn’t have been more than one. Grimmsuki shrugged his backpack onto his bed and turned to Niko.

“How do you want to…?”

Niko rummaged through his bedside for his shaving razor, “where do you feel comfortable drinking from?”

“Uhm,” Grimmsuki hesitated, remembering how he’d drank from Hoyw a week earlier, “arm.”

“Okay, which arm?”

“Right.” He knew Niko was left handed.

Niko nodded, gripping the razor tighter in his hand.

“You…are aware of what’ll happen?” Grimmsuki asked, not oblivious to the reaction Hoyw had.

“Yeah,” Niko breathed, bringing his razor up to his arm, “I’ve read about it.”

“Are you scared?”

“More nervous, it’s my first time, y’know?”

Grimmsuki nodded this time; in understanding. “It was a weird experience with Hoyw, I, uhm, could feel everything.”

“You could feel his boner?”

“Niko!” Grimmsuki hissed, face aflame before he bashfully admitted, “yes…”

“Well, it’s just something that happens, blood drinking is meant to be pleasurable, y’know?” Niko breathed deeply, in through his nose and out through his mouth. “And whatever happens won’t change our friendship.”

“Promise?”

“I promise!”

Grimmsuki took a shaky breath, “okay, I’m ready.”

Niko brought the razor to his skin and nicked his flesh, a small but deep cut that began to bleed within seconds, blood pooled on his arm around the wound and Grimmsuki shared a glance with green eyes before he ducked his head and his tongue laved over the open wound.

He heard Niko intake a breath, the sensitive skin of his wrist coupled with the liquid lifeforce oozing from the wound being lapped at by Grimmsuki’s tongue making the other vampire shudder an exhale.

“Suki…”

The sound shouldn’t have aroused him, but it did. The call of the familiar nickname by Niko’s breathy tone left Grimmsuki feeling hot. He was sure that if he hadn’t been so injured the last time with Hoyw then it would’ve had the same effect. He almost wished it had.

Maybe they wouldn’t be in the stalemate they were currently locked in.

Grimmsuki suckled at the wrist of the other vampire, listening to each of Niko’s staccato breaths that passed his lips, the tremble to his body.

“What the fuck…” Niko hissed, “why does it feel so good?”

Grimmsuki wished he knew, what he did know for sure was they shouldn’t be crossing this boundary. It filled him with anxiety to cross the boundary between friendship and lovers.

But it was so hard to stop.

So he didn’t.

He surrendered to the sensation of Niko’s blood being consumed with every swallow, the sensation of a petite body beside his own larger one.

Soon his mouth moved away from Niko’s arm and to his lips, arms wrapping around Niko’s neck as he kissed the other vampire deeply, finding Niko returning the gesture fully.

Their lips locked together and their tongues followed suit, battling for dominance in a dance of passion. Grimmsuki found his nerves abating as Niko’s tongue worked over the roof of his mouth and slid against his own tongue, and Niko’s movements grew more confident as the make out deepened.

Niko tugged at Grimmsuki’s lip, nibbling before sealing their lips together again. They kissed for a second time, Grimmsuki being taken aback by the confidence of the other man.

“Fuck…” Grimmsuki whined as Niko moved his head to nip at his pulse point, the smaller vampire making Grimmsuki writhe.

At least his craving for blood was sated.

* * *

Grimmsuki opened his eyes, blinking up at the ceiling and taking all but five seconds to realise it was dark in the room. He turned to look to his side, a heavy weight on his arm.

Beside him Niko lay sleeping, clothing rumpled and askew, hair billowing around his face like a thick curtain.

Had they really just…?

_Again?_

How many times had they done this now?

His body felt weak despite drinking more than his share of blood from his friend, blood that had been leaving more and more of an aftertaste he wasn’t wanting to taste again.

It had been a month and a half since his blood bond with Hoyw had been created, and he was growing more and more restless with having blood that _wasn’t_ Hoyw’s.

How long was he going to have to wait for the bond to break?

How would he know the bond had been broken?

When could he see Hoyw again?

He missed him.

“Suki?” Niko’s voice sounded groggy, rough from their earlier activities.

“Yeah?”

Hazy green eyes looked into his, “what time is it?”

Grimmsuki wasn’t sure but looking at his phone with hooded eyes he quickly realised it was late. “ten PM.”

The room was cold and Grimmsuki didn’t want to move from the warmth of Niko’s body, the other exuding warmth like a heater. But Niko sat up, scratching at the back of his head and yawning.

“We should get up.”

“But—”

“No buts, c’mon, lump of lard.” Niko shoved at Grimmsuki light heartedly.

“Okay, okay.”

Grimmsuki sat up, worming his arm from out under Niko. He stretched with a yawn and looked around their room, a single bed definitely wasn’t supposed to be big enough for the two of them, yet they both fit perfectly. He fastened his pants and swung his legs over the side, sighing.

* * *

The first thing Grimmsuki heard was the sound of the whistle. Shit. The game was already starting.

He hurried his pace, slamming the car door and looking back at the driver, “thanks.” He smiled at Niko.

“No problem.” Niko returned the gesture.

“No, really.” Grimmsuki turned to the university grounds. “Thank you for everything.”

He didn’t see Niko sincere smile.

Grimmsuki began running, vaulting the five foot university perimeter wall with ease thanks to his ever-growing vampiric powers. Next he ran along patterned pavement and around to the field at the back of the campus, feeling the blood bond he shared with Hoyw grow and grow with every step.

He shouldn’t be doing this.

He really shouldn’t.

It was selfish.

But he’d never missed a game, and now the new season had started in the bitterly cold February he had to go to the matches again, and nobody would stop him.

The sound of the whistle bounced off the surrounding houses, echoing back on itself and Grimmsuki watched the two teams join on the field as the shrill noise faded out.

Grimmsuki heard Hoyw bellow _come on lads!_ As their team took their positions in the scrum. Sixteen bodies rushed forward, another sixteen meeting them in the middle and hindering their advance, battling for possession of the ball that’d been tossed in by the scrum-half of the opposing team.

“Who’s that guy?” Niko asked, suddenly appearing beside Grimmsuki and grinning, he pointed to the scrum-half, donning number nine on his jersey.

“Scrum-half.”

“So that guy with the brown hair is our scrum-half?” Niko asked.

“Yeah, Ricky Ashton.”

“Huh.” Niko said softly.

Grimmsuki’s attention was brought back to the game as he saw a broad, tanned arm part the opposing team’s defences and forcing its way through the blockade, moving forward with the ball tucked in close to his chest. The team dispersed and gave chase to their try-line, all the while they bolstered their defence.

“Goooo Michael!!” The crowd called and hollered and Grimmsuki got lost in the atmosphere of the game, fisting the air above his head as he, too, cheered for Michael. Similar cheers for their team also broke through the frigidly cold air.

A flash of brown took position behind Michael, the crowd beginning to cheer for _Ricky!_ The pair preparing for a back pass from the number eight to number nine – the scrum-half.

“Here comes the back pass.”

“Back pass?”

“In rugby you can only pass to a player behind you.”

Niko struggled to imagine what a back pass would look like at first, and it wasn’t until he watched Michael and Ricky exchange the ball.

“Michael!” Ricky called, breaking through the barrier of the opposing team, catching the ball in both hands and he sprinted forward, his muscular physique enabling him to put the power behind his run.

Ricky drew parallel with the fly-half, Tiernán, Grimmsuki and Niko watching as the captain of the opposing team fearlessly charged at Ricky and fiercely collided with his body, bringing him down as the ball left his arms, passed backwards to Tiernán.

“Kick it!” Hoyw roared as an order, the rest of their team bringing themselves in line with Tiernán, albeit still behind him, fanning out over the expanse of field.

Tiernán spun the ball in his hands as he ran, letting it drop and bringing his foot up to meet it in mid-air, not once stopping his sprint. He kicked it wide and high to be received by his teammates Grimmsuki watching as Niko marvelled at the scene before them, he could see the appeal of how Tiernán’s body carried through the motion of the kick. Strength carried through his body, starting at his arms as he dropped the ball, through his broad back and into his right leg, fluid and not unlike a ripple disrupting previously still water.

Like he was made for it, his skill was undeniable. Grimmsuki could see why he’d been scouted by several university teams.

Grimmsuki watched the player marked twelve – Liam? If he was remembering correctly – seized the ball, pushing past the opposite team’s attempt at tackling him. With Shán’s assistance the pair made headway as they passed back and forth, escaping the other team’s advances and making the final pass to Omri.

The right-winger closed the distance between himself and the try-line, throwing himself and the ball over the white line and toppling to the floor.

Five points.

“Nice, nice!” Hoyw encouraged, clapping his teammate across his back.

Grimmsuki watched the action, sighing softly when he remembered how Hoyw used to do the same to him.

“You okay, Suki?”

Grimmsuki took one last look at the man, gnawing on his lip before turning away. “I want to go home.”

* * *

Grimmsuki gnawed at his lip, itching at his arms and rocking slightly in his seat. It was back again. The sensation of _want_ and _desperation_ to have what he couldn’t.

He peeled some skin from his lip, tasting the copper invasion awash with a vile taste and wishing more than anything that it was someone else’s. Anyone else’s. But one person in particular he craved it to be.

Hoyw.

He stood from his position on his bed, stalking towards the window and drawing back the curtains in an attempt to let the soothing midnight blue wash over him. Instead it just made him hungrier.

How long had it been?

Months?

At least nine months, he thought.

He’d lost count.

The weeks had long since blurred into months since the creation of the blood bond, the vampire learning the hard way that as the blood bond progressed, any and all blood except Hoyw’s now tasted like poison to him, even his own. As a result, days with Niko in his bed, drinking his blood and sharing incredible intimacy with the other vampire had dwindled to none at all.

But he had found solace, albeit small, in the form of a sport that involved every bit of his concentration, thanks to the archery expert, Phoenix. And now was one of those times he’d learned an escape was what he needed.

He made his way from his dorm room he shared with Niko, down the twisting steps and along the East wall, brushing past vampires and fledglings alike and heading towards the stables.

Straight to Jetta’s stall he went, saddling up and walking the horse to the corral.

“Grimmsuki,” Carolina sounded surprised then sympathetic, “cravings again?”

Grimmsuki hummed, listening to the clacking of Jetta’s hooves of the cobblestone floor and being soothed by the mare’s steady presence. “Gonna practice.”

“Okay, be careful you don’t exhaust yourself.”

Grimmsuki nodded, the two things that’d been soothing him the last few months had been Jetta and archery. Combining them had seemed like a no brainer, but he was yet to hit a single bullseye, or even the board. Jetta was just too fast and he was too slow.

He supposed it would get easier as his powers grew, at least, that’s what his archery teacher, Phoenix Shula, had said.

The sensation that washed over him was a strange one and he stumbled, his ankle giving out under him and sending him falling to the floor.

“Grimmsuki?” Carolina asked, rushing to aid the younger vampire, her touch was cold to his suddenly feverish skin, the rolling in his stomach left him feeling nauseous.

“The blood bond…” He trembled, “I can’t feel it.”

Carolina’s eyes widened and the fledgling looked into them.

“Has it broken?”

“I—I think so.” She sounded breathless, “I think it has, Grimmsuki.”

“I can see him again?”

Carolina hesitated before answering. “If he wants you to.”

Grimmsuki struggled to his feet, feeling weak and shaky as he did so, his ankle hurt like hell. “I need to see him.”

“Grimmsuki are you sure?”

He nodded, gripping Jetta’s reins and leading her back to her stall, “sorry girl, our run will have to wait.” She nickered in disapproval but allowed him to take off her saddle anyway.

He smiled as he locked the stall door, “good luck, Grimmsuki.” Carolina smiled softly, approaching Jetta’s stall and releasing the sliding lock, she slipped inside before bolting it again.

“Thanks.” He smiled in return, breaking into a run despite the pain in his ankle. He ran past the East wall, out of the coven gates and into the street.

Grimmsuki crossed the silent road, not slowing in his run as he cleared Grove Street and booked it down the next, Sharple Crescent. He skidded around a car pulling out from where it’d been parked in someone’s front garden. “Sorry!”

The car horn bellowed into the cold night in return.

He licked his lips, as he entered the park Hoyw used to practice in, heart pounding in his chest as his eyes adjusted to the darkened green space, lights long neglected and bulbs long worn out.

His breath painted the air white and his lungs burned from the cold, yet he was sweating, the rivulets of sweat chilling his skin as he vaulted over the fence to the children’s play area. He ran across woodchip ground, past the swing set and over the second fence onto more grass.

He exited the park onto South Grady Road, running towards Lane’s End and running in front of a bus to clear the road before being hit, he narrowly avoided it, not looking the other way before jumping out to—

His whole body shunted, he felt metal crush into his body and suddenly he was flying.

The feeling rippled through his body as he collided with the tarmac road. He groaned, rolling onto his back and looking up at the clear night sky, to the full moon above him.

“This is all your fault!” He pointed accusingly to the moon.

“Whoa, man, a—are you okay?”

That voice.

Grimmsuki shot up into a sitting position, finding himself pleasantly surprised at his lack of injuries, sure, his body hurt like fuck, but he could _move_ , and that was a good thing.

“Grimmsuki?”

Hoyw…

“What are you—”

An open hand presented itself to Grimmsuki and he gratefully took it, being pulled to his feet.

“Get in, I’ll take you back to the coven.”

What?

No!

“A—Actually, I wanted to talk to you, so can we go somewhere first?”

Hoyw’s eyes widened a fraction before settling into his usual expression, “uh, sure. Where do you want to go?”

“Um, the beach?”

Hoyw nodded, letting go of Grimmsuki’s hand and making his way back to the driver’s side of the vehicle, Grimmsuki went to the passenger side and climbed in beside his crush, fastening his seatbelt.

Hoyw began driving, heading to the roundabout before turning back on himself and heading towards the docks. Grimmsuki wrung his hands in front of his chest, clenching and unclenching his grip on the seatbelt across his torso. Elvis was playing on the radio. _Suspicious Minds._

“A—Are you hurt?” Hoyw asked softly after what felt like forever of an awkward silence.

“No,” Grimmsuki said quickly but backtracking, “I—I mean, I don’t think so, I hurt all over, which is expected, I was just hit by a car. But I don’t think anything is broken.”

“That’s…” Hoyw smiled, a small twitch of his lips as he drove through a green light and turned onto a narrow coastal road and Grimmsuki felt his heart flutter, “good.”

“Listen, I—I’m sorry about the blood bond.” Grimmsuki spoke quickly, interrupting Hoyw before he could say anything else. “I honestly didn’t mean it.”

“It hurt, y’know.”

“I—I know…”

“Waking up after being beaten up hurt. It hurt not being able to see you. It hurt when it broke.”

“I know…” Grimmsuki looked down to his lap, feeling the sting of tears in his eyes and his vision blurred. “That’s what a blood bond is. Every moment apart is meant to be agony.”

“Then why did you do it?” Hoyw asked, parking up at the dockside and they both sat in the car looking at the tumbling waves in front of them.

“You were going to die… I honestly just wanted to share my blood with you and heal you.” Grimmsuki’s eyes met Hoyw’s as tears tumbled down his face. “Like you healed me.”

“Oh…”

They fell silent again and Grimmsuki sighed softly through his nose, he massaged his neck, an ache beginning to settle in his bones from the collision, no longer numbed by the cold outside now he was in the cab of Hoyw’s car.

He felt a lump grow in his throat and tears well in his eyes again as a new song came on over the radio, fading from Lewis Capaldi’s _Grace_ to _A Thousand Years_ by Christina Perri.

He listened to the piano slowly building into the vocals.

_Heart beats fast,  
Colours and promises. _

He swallowed around the lump in his throat, looking to Hoyw in the corner of his eye, he seemed to be watching the sea, eyes focused on an invisible marker in front of them that let the inky blackness enrapture him.

He looked so handsome…

_All of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow._

Grimmsuki made the decision then, he had to tell him.

_One step closer._

“Hoyw?”

Hoyw snapped from his daydreaming, looking to the side to look at Grimmsuki with a mildly startled expression, his eyes were wide again, yet they looked different to being startled. Deep hazel-green eyes watching every single one of Grimmsuki’s movements with something akin to affection alight and bouncing around his irises.

“Yeah?”

Despite all that’d happened…he could still look at him that way.

_I have loved you for a thousand years…  
I’ll love you for a thousand more._

“I—uhm,” Grimmsuki hesitated, looking away, “I think I really like you. Like, _really_ like you.”

 _Time stands still_.

Hoyw remained silent, expression relaxing.

_I will be brave._

“I’ve had a crush on you since high school…”

Hoyw still didn’t utter a word, leaving Grimmsuki beginning to lose confidence, every second that ticked by was another second that doubt was allowed to creep in.

“Really?” Hoyw finally spoke, tone soft and with a hint of disbelief.

Grimmsuki just nodded, looking down, “you can take me back to the coven now and I’ll be out of your hair.”

_Every breath,  
Every hour has come to this._

Hoyw reached over the gear stick and the handbrake, taking Grimmsuki’s hand and with his free hand he wiped away a stray tear that Grimmsuki didn’t even know had taken up residence on his cheek.

_I have died everyday waiting for you,  
Darling don’t be afraid,  
I have loved you for a thousand years,  
I’ll love you for a thousand more._

Hoyw’s lips twitched into another smile, eyes softening just a little and the distance between them growing scant.

“That makes what I’m about to do a lot easier.”

Hoyw’s thumb stroked over Grimmsuki’s lip, wet from the tear on his cheek it caressed the plump flesh of his lip, moments later it was replaced by Hoyw’s own well moisturised and cared for lips.

_One step closer…_

Grimmsuki gasped softly in surprise against Hoyw’s lips, the latter using it as his chance to deepen the kiss just slightly as his tongue licked at the seam of Grimmsuki’s lips. Grimmsuki let go of Hoyw’s hand and wrapped his arms around his neck, returning the kiss fully. But all too soon it was over.

“You’re not just doing this to humour me are you?” Grimmsuki asked quietly as string instruments marked the conclusion of the song.

“When have I ever done that?” Hoyw smiled, “I mean it, Suki. And now the blood bond is gone I can feel it for sure.”

Grimmsuki couldn’t help the smile that flitted across his expression.

“Thank you…”

“Don’t thank me, Suki.”

Grimmsuki felt relief so overwhelming that he couldn’t resist kissing Hoyw again.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are much appreciated <3


End file.
